A Touch Menacing (17 page)

Madeline switched the phone to her other ear.
Great,
she thought. “Eden, you cannot show up there, do you understand me? You need to stay the hell away from Kristen.”

“Why?” Eden asked.

“Because she wants you dead,” Madeline said. “And right now, she thinks you are. The purpose of the ball is to gather as many Siders to her as possible. You
kill
Siders. I’d say the conflict’s pretty clear.”

On the floor, the dead girl’s eyes were still open a slit. Crouching down, Madeline closed them. “I’ve got plans in motion. All I need is a little more time, and Kristen’s issues with you will be obsolete.”
By morning,
she thought. Then they would know for sure. For now, though, she had to be sure Eden was somewhere safe. “Where are you planning on staying?”

“Hidden,” Eden answered instantly, and Madeline couldn’t help feeling a bit of hope for her.

“Good girl,” she said. “Trust no one. Stay out of sight. The ball’s tomorrow night. I’ll call you when it’s over.”

She hung up without waiting for a response. Now, all she had to do was wait. In a few hours, she and Jackson would know whether the first part of her plan had worked. If not, Madeline would be Googling the hell out of how to dispose of a body.

CHAPTER 9

K
risten strode down the hall, shoulders back, head high. She had told no one about the attack on Milton’s after Madeline’s call. Now, more than ever, the ball had to go on as planned.

She halted at the top of the stairs and leaned against the railing. At her heels was a young Sider.

With a flick of her hand, Kristen gestured to the room below. “Furniture will need to be moved to the outskirts, and I’d like speakers and refreshments set up to the right of the stairs. Lights strung across there,” she said, pointing up to the exposed beams of the ceiling. “Like stars. Don’t skimp.”

She whipped around to find the Sider scribbling on a small pad of paper.

“And what sort of music?” the girl asked.

Music. Kristen’s brain lodged in a memory of fingers coursing over frets, gentle strumming.
No.
Lips against her skin. Luke’s fingers in her hair.
Do not think about him.
Her grip tightened on the banister. The timbre of Luke’s voice flooded her brain, dragged her under, and stole her breath.
He’s not here.

“Kristen?”

“Let Sebastian choose the music.” Her voice came out weaker than she would have liked.

“You don’t want to?” the girl asked.

Kristen’s dress billowed around her as she closed the distance between them. “Did you in any way
not
understand,” she challenged, “or are you second-guessing my decisions?”

“I wasn’t. I would never,” the girl stammered.

“You would never second-guess?” An angry heat filled her chest, scorched away the last thoughts of Luke. “So I’m to gather you’re stupid?”

“Kristen. Stop.” She startled at Sebastian’s sudden presence. The sharp sound of his voice unleashed her temper even before she heard the next word. He had been at her side since before she’d become the leader of the Bronx two years ago. He knew better than to speak against her.

“I won’t tolerate stupidity. Put her in the east wing.” She mocked the girl’s sharp intake. The east wing was where the Screamers were kept, locked in, and made to store their Touch until they went mad with it. “I want her suffering.”

Sebastian looped his muscled arm for the girl to take, but instead of leading her away, he stood stock-still. “Perhaps that’s a bit rash?” When Kristen didn’t immediately answer, he turned, spinning the girl with him. “Go, Shanyn,” he said to her. “Stay out of sight today.”

The girl was down the stairs before Kristen’s jaw even had a chance to drop. She shook her head in disbelief. “Who do you think you are?”

“Your Second,” he said softly. “Though you’re treating me like your enemy.” Sebastian met her glare with sad brown eyes. “What are you so angry about?” he asked.

“I’m not. I’m fi—”

He held out his hand to cut her off. “You’re not fine,” he said loudly.

She swiveled to survey the preparations below. The Siders down there were setting up decorations and candles along the mantel. They hadn’t looked up at Sebastian’s words.

“My room,” she commanded. “Now.”

When they were beyond prying ears in her bedroom, she closed her door. She kept her hand on the wood, trying to collect herself as he paced behind her back.

She swallowed hard, unsure how to tell him about the attack at Milton’s. Eden and her Second were gone, along with Zach. “Sebastian, I . . .”

“I shouldn’t have undermined your authority,” he said. “Especially after your absence.”

The floorboards creaked as he shifted, giving away how uncomfortable the confrontation made him.

“You can’t hurt our Siders, Kristen. To beat the Bound, we need strength and we need numbers. Losing either is unacceptable.” As she turned to face him, Sebastian took a deep breath and began again. “Is it your illness that has you acting this way?”

Being in charge, he’d grown bold.

She felt her face flush. “Cruelty isn’t a
symptom
.”

Nothing would wipe away how she’d felt seeing Sebastian at Aerie, where he and Eden had come looking and found her with Luke. Eden had gone for insults and personal drama, but Sebastian . . . he had only wanted her safe, wanted her home. If he’d come alone, she just might have listened to him.

She wondered if Luke would have let her go.

Sebastian led the others to believe her absence was a planned event. As always, he seemed to know exactly when to give her space and when to push. They needed to trust each other. Secrets now could get them killed.

“You’re afraid?” He raised an eyebrow, waiting a moment for her to contradict him, then plowed on. “Don’t be. Tomorrow, we have the ball. The others will come and—”

“Gabriel said last week the other angels were close to figuring out a way to kill us. They may already have found one.” She licked her lips as she broke eye contact. “There was an attack today in Manhattan.”

“Today? In broad daylight?” Sebastian balked. “On Eden’s crew?”

Kristen nodded. “Eden, Jarrod, possibly another girl with them. And one other.” She wanted to be strong for him. “Zach.”

His face fell. She barely heard his whispered curse.

“No one is to leave the house,” she commanded. “Not together, not alone. Not at all. We need everyone here and ready to fight if necessary.”
I need you safe. By my side,
she thought but didn’t say. He had to know how important he was. How she leaned on him. “Are you all ri—”

“Numbers don’t matter if we can’t kill our enemy. Why haven’t you asked Gabriel?” The coldness in his voice cut through her like ice.

“What, how to kill the Bound?” She ran her fingers through the wild mess of her brown hair until she hit a snarl. “He would never tell me. What would the Siders do to me if I told the Bound some way to kill
us
?” she asked, exasperated.

The rationalization didn’t give him pause. His brown eyes burned with anger. “Manipulate him. Guilt him into it.”

She blinked at him in surprise. “He’s my friend!”

“No. He’s one of
them
, Kristen, and from what you told me, he’s pretty desperate to remain so. You’d do well to remember he’s an enemy.”

She shook her head, but it did nothing to stop her thoughts. Gabriel’s face on the train when he was Fallen, how he’d hurt her, his grip bruising her wrist. The black and blue marks had been nothing; remembering how he’d cast her aside cut deeper.
Will he do it again, for the Bound this time?
“Gabriel’s done more for me than—”

“Past tense.
Done,
” Sebastian said before she could finish, stabbing a victorious finger in her face.

“This conversation is over.” She turned away, couldn’t look at him, couldn’t bear to acknowledge the truth in his words. “Are we clear?”

“Fine.” Sebastian crossed his arms. “What about Luke?”

Heat rose slowly up her neck to her cheeks. “You just don’t stop, do you? I told you that was done.”

“And I believe you. But would
he
tell you how to kill angels?”

The idea took hold even as her anger slid away.

“Kristen?” Sebastian prodded. “Would Luke tell you how to kill angels?”

She shook her head, rattling the thought away. It didn’t matter. “Not anymore.” She’d denied Luke in front of Gabriel. He’d laced her up in his delicate puppet strings, left her feeling foolish and unraveled. It was over. “Lucifer isn’t exactly one to trust in an alliance anyway,” she said.

Sebastian took a step toward her. “Are you sure? Our lives depend on it.” She glanced up at him.

“I’ll do what I can.” Her voice was barely audible. After closing the door behind Sebastian, she stood lost in her thoughts.

Luke’s dangerous. He used you.
The voice in her head belonged to Gabriel. She wanted to listen. And yet, she’d seen the rage on Luke’s face when he realized she was leaving him. Angry
after
Gabriel had been Bound, when any Siders Eden killed off were back to infecting Upstairs, not Down. Why had Luke been so livid at her leaving if he’d already won his game?

Her eyes slipped shut, the memory of the last night at Aerie replaying. Eden suffering, Gabriel Bound again, sanity. And Luke, beside her, the whisper in her ear.
This is everything you wanted,
he had said.

But what had
he
wanted?

She rolled a gaudy sapphire ring around her thumb, pondering. What would happen if she listened to Sebastian? She pictured herself showing up at Luke’s apartment unannounced. Even in her imagination, the smug smile that she knew he’d wear irked her. He’d cock his hip against the doorframe, maybe surprised to see her there, but maybe not. She wondered if he’d force her to say the things that her presence would tell him anyway: that she’d made a mistake, should have stayed. Missed him.

Kristen sighed. There was only one reason she couldn’t go through with it.

Luke would know it wasn’t a lie.

CHAPTER 9

K
risten strode down the hall, shoulders back, head high. She had told no one about the attack on Milton’s after Madeline’s call. Now, more than ever, the ball had to go on as planned.

She halted at the top of the stairs and leaned against the railing. At her heels was a young Sider.

With a flick of her hand, Kristen gestured to the room below. “Furniture will need to be moved to the outskirts, and I’d like speakers and refreshments set up to the right of the stairs. Lights strung across there,” she said, pointing up to the exposed beams of the ceiling. “Like stars. Don’t skimp.”

She whipped around to find the Sider scribbling on a small pad of paper.

“And what sort of music?” the girl asked.

Music. Kristen’s brain lodged in a memory of fingers coursing over frets, gentle strumming.
No.
Lips against her skin. Luke’s fingers in her hair.
Do not think about him.
Her grip tightened on the banister. The timbre of Luke’s voice flooded her brain, dragged her under, and stole her breath.
He’s not here.

“Kristen?”

“Let Sebastian choose the music.” Her voice came out weaker than she would have liked.

“You don’t want to?” the girl asked.

Kristen’s dress billowed around her as she closed the distance between them. “Did you in any way
not
understand,” she challenged, “or are you second-guessing my decisions?”

“I wasn’t. I would never,” the girl stammered.

“You would never second-guess?” An angry heat filled her chest, scorched away the last thoughts of Luke. “So I’m to gather you’re stupid?”

“Kristen. Stop.” She startled at Sebastian’s sudden presence. The sharp sound of his voice unleashed her temper even before she heard the next word. He had been at her side since before she’d become the leader of the Bronx two years ago. He knew better than to speak against her.

“I won’t tolerate stupidity. Put her in the east wing.” She mocked the girl’s sharp intake. The east wing was where the Screamers were kept, locked in, and made to store their Touch until they went mad with it. “I want her suffering.”